Society
Society is a
fundamental term of sociology. The term is derived from the Latin word
“socius”, which
means Companion or Friendship. Companionship means sociability.
“Man is social being.
The person who is incapable of sharing a common life is either below or above
humanity, either Beast or God”.
Aristotle
A single individual cannot
fulfill his unlimited needs. That is why, he comes to the others. Man cannot
live without society alone. Directly or indirectly all people are together in
the society. In general society is a group of people but in sociology it has
specific meaning, it is a organized human group, in which people are depend on
interaction and interrelation. It is a complex phenomena, a web of relationship
living with broad culture. That is why in sociology a crowd or unrelated group
of people is not a society. To make society interrelation, interdependency, interactions
are the necessary component.
Definition
“A society is the collection of individual united by certain relations or
modes of behavior which marks them off from other who do not enter into these
relation or who differ from them in behavior.” -Morris Gings Berg
“The term society refers not to group of people, but to the complex
pattern of the norms of interaction that arises among them and between them.” -Giddings.
“Society is the web of relationship.” -MacIver
Characteristics of
Society:
Society consists
of people
Society is a
collection of people. Without the students and teachers there can be no collage
and no university, similarly, without people the can be no society, no social
relationship and no social life at all.
Mutual interaction
and Mutual awareness
Society
is group of people in continuous interaction with each other. It refers to the
reciprocal contact between two or more persons. It is a process whereby men
interpenetrate the minds of each other. Individuals are in continuous interaction
with each other individuals of society. The limits of society are by the limits
of social interactions. Society is understood as a network of social
relationship. But not all relations are social relation. Social relationship
exists only when the members are aware of each other.
Society is sum
of likeness and differences
The
principle of likeness is essential for society. It exists among those who
resemble one another in some degree, in body and mind. Likeness refers to the similarities.
People have similarities with regards to their needs, works, aims, ideals,
values, outlook, towards life and so on.
Cooperation and
division of labor
Division
of labor involves the assignment to each unit or group a specific share of a
common task. For example, the common task of producing cotton clothes is shared
by a number of people like the farmers who grow cotton, the spinners and
weavers, the dyer and the merchants. Similarly, at home work is divided and
shared by father, mother and children. Division of labor leads to
specialization. Division of labor and specialization are the hallmarks of
modern complex society.
Society implies
interdependency
Social
relationships are characterized by interdependence. Family is the most basic
social group. For example, is based upon the interdependence of man and woman. One
depends upon the other for the satisfaction of one’s needs. As society
advances, the area of interferences also grows. Today, not only individuals are
interdependent upon other but even, communities, social groups, societies and
nations are also interdependent.
Society is
dynamic
Society
is not static, it is dynamic. Change is even present in society. Changeability
is an inherent quality of human society. No society can ever remain constant
for a length of time.
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Social control
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Culture etc.